ASTANA (TCA) — Italy’s Eni on June 12 said it has taken the Final Investment Decision to build, develop and operate the Badamsha plant, a 50 MW wind farm located in the northwest of Kazakhstan. This project represents the first large scale investment in wind technology for the company.

The construction works of the plant, which is located in the Aktobe Oblast, will start in the coming months and the commercial operation date and the connection to the grid is expected by the end of 2019. The wind farm will provide the Region with an annual power generation of about 198 GWh. Eni’s current renewable energy portfolio includes investments in solar, wind and hybrid projects worldwide for 1.2 billion euros over the next four years.

The Badamsha project represents the first material step of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Eni, General Electric (GE) and the Kazakh Minister of Energy, Kanat Bozumbayev, to promote the development of renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan. Last June Eni signed a number of strategic cooperation agreements both in the upstream and renewable energy sectors with the aim of supporting the sustainable economic growth of the country.

Eni has been present in Kazakhstan since 1992. Eni is joint operator of the Karachaganak field and is an equity partner in various projects in the Northern Caspian Sea, including the giant Kashagan field. In 2018 Eni became joint operator in the exploration block Isatay, with the national company KMG.

ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan’s efforts to expand cooperation with the US have caused irritation from Russia which seeks to keep its influence in the Central Asia region. We are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by Eurasianet:

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KABUL (TCA) — A top Afghan commander has said that 77,000 Taliban militants are battling the Afghan government – more than double the estimates from US and Afghan officials about insurgent strength, Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — To deliver an environment conducive for foreign tourists to visit Uzbekistan freely and at ease and simplify the procedure for registering with bodies of the interior, those arriving in the country now have the opportunity to independently register in the form of a notification using a specialized electronic automated program via the internet, the official Jahon information agency reported.

In accordance with new regulations, for foreign citizens on an independent journey, living in tent camps or land transport adapted to stay, within three days after their arrival in Uzbekistan, they will notify by self-filling in data with indication of settlements along the route through the mentioned program. In the meantime, independent tourists are responsible for registration in the order established by the legislation of Uzbekistan.

Meanwhile, travelers can apply to tourist information offices or nearby accommodation facilities. In this case, the administration of tourist information bureaus and accommodation facilities are required to send a notice to the internal affairs bodies with the completion of the data of independent foreign tourists on the basis of their application.

Also, the Resolution of Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers of May 29 introduced amendments to the existing rules as to simplify and clarify the procedure for collecting tourist (hotel) fee from foreign citizens in Uzbekistan.

Now, the tourist (hotel) fee is collected from foreign citizens by means of accommodation and medical institutions for each day of their residence. For an incomplete day of accommodation, a tourist (hotel) fee is charged as a full day. At the same time, a tourist (hotel) fee for children under the age of 16 is ruled out. Also, this fee is charged by travel activity entities (tourist agents) from the guests who arranged their accommodation in tent camps and ground transport converted for accommodations for overnight stay.

In addition, a tourist (hotel) fee for foreign citizens staying in Uzbekistan for up to 30 days is paid by individuals who accept and provide their living space for non-commercial purposes. Foreign citizens making an independent trip, living in campgrounds and ground transport converted for accommodation, pay for the tourist fee themselves.

TASHKENT (TCA) — Raising awareness and formulating policy recommendations on the need to engage and empower youth in preventing violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) was the focus of a two-day international conference that ended on June 12. The event, organized by the OSCE in co-operation with the upper house of the parliament, the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the United Nations, was held in Tashkent and Samarkand, respectively.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The Kyrgyz Prosecutor-General’s Office has rejected a request for a retrial of opposition leader Omurbek Tekebaev, who was sentenced in 2017 to eight years in prison on corruption charges that he denies, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.

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